return to field

Return to Field

Bryan Kortis

[email protected]

Animal Care Expo

2016

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Tactics

Community TNR Program

Targeting Grassroots Mobilization Return to Field

Intensive TNR in

colonies & areas with

high numbers of cats

Spay/neuter & return

healthy, unadoptable

cats brought to shelters

Provide public w/training,

equipment, support &

free or low-cost services

Reduce cat population,

intake & complaints

Reduce euthanasia,

promote culture change

Build awareness, gradual

population decline

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Return to Field – the process

SHELTER

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Feral Freedom!

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• Conference on TNR by HSUS held in

Jacksonville in 2007

• First Coast No More Homeless Pets

approached Jacksonville Animal Care &

Protective Services about returning eartipped

cats brought to the county shelter to their

colonies

• Director offered to return all feral cats, eartipped

or not

• FCNMHP received funding from Best Friends

Animal Society

• “Feral Freedom” launched in August 2008

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Jacksonville, FL

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Cat Intake

Cat Euthanasia

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Why not euthanasia?

• Lethal control is a failed approach

to managing community cat

populations – numbers of cats,

nuisance complaints, rabies risks

& wildlife predation don’t decline

• Intake and euthanasia rates don’t

go down

• High euthanasia rates = high

stress, staff turnover, poor public

relations, lower adoptions

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Why does lethal control fail?

• Too many cats, too few animal

control resources

• Caretaker resistance

• Vacuum effect

• Failure to capture all colony

members

• The public disfavors euthanasia

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Won’t everyone freak out?!

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National survey (2014)

Question: What is your preference among these 3 options

for managing community cats?

a) Sterilize and vaccinate healthy stray cats, and return

them to where they were captured (sometimes called

trap-neuter-return)

b) Impoundment by shelter staff, followed by lethal

injection for any cats not adopted

c) Do nothing/leave stray cats alone to fend for

themselves

Commissioned by Best Friends Animal Society

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Question: What is your preference among these 3 options

for managing community cats?

a) Sterilize and vaccinate healthy stray cats, and return

them to where they were captured (sometimes called

trap-neuter-return)

b) Impoundment by shelter staff, followed by lethal

injection for any cats not adopted

c) Do nothing/leave stray cats alone to fend for

themselves

68%

24%

8%

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Question: If you saw a stray cat in your community and

could only choose between two courses of action—leaving

the cat where it is outside or having the cat caught and then

put down—which would you consider to be the more

humane option for the cat?

a) Leave the cat where it is

b) Have the cat put down

c) Don’t know/refused to answer

Harris Interactive, commissioned by Alley Cat Allies

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Question: If you saw a stray cat in your community and

could only choose between two courses of action—leaving

the cat where it is outside or having the cat caught and then

put down—which would you consider to be the more

humane option for the cat?

a) Leave the cat where it is



81%

14%

5%

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Question: If you knew that the stray cat you saw

would die in two years because it would be hit by a

car, which would you consider the most humane

option today?

a) Leave the cat where it is and let it

live two years before dying



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Question: If you knew that the stray cat you saw

would die in two years because it would be hit by a

car, which would you consider the most humane

option today?

a) Leave the cat where it is and let it

live two years before dying



72%

21%

7%

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Survey of Ohio adults (2008)

• 43% of participants saw free-

roaming cats in their neighborhoods

on a daily or weekly basis

• 26% had fed free-roaming cats

during the prior year

• Only 23% who fed free-roaming cats

ever brought one to a veterinarian

for any type of treatment

Lord, L., Attitudes toward and perceptions of free-roaming cats

among individuals living in Ohio (2008) Journal of the American

Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 232, 1160-1167.

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The choice

Return to Field is aligned with the

majority who favor live outcomes

and are willing to leave community

cats in the environment

Euthanasia is aligned with the minority

who complain about the cats and

want them removed

Which audience will the shelter serve?

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Pets

What we know:

• People let their cats roam

outside

• Most cats are not microchipped

or wearing identification

• Indoor cats escape and get lost

• Friendly but frightened cats may

present as unadoptable

• RTO rates for cats at most

shelters are very low (single

digits)

What we don’t know:

• How many euthanized

“strays” are really pets?

• How many cats would find

their own way home if

released back where they

were captured?

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RTF benefits

• Lower euthanasia

• Resources can be re-allocated from lethal control to life-saving programs

• Healthier shelter environment (cats are moved out quickly & less crowding)

• Public support (fundraising, adoptions)

• Avoids needless euthanasia of roaming pets

• Culture change – inside and outside shelter

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Common fears

Fear: People will harm the cats.

Fact: No program yet has reported an

increase in abuse.

Fear: People will complain to local officials.

Fact: Some will. Policymakers must have

your back.

Fear: Cat owners won’t get a chance to

reclaim their pets.

Fact: National reclaim average for cats is 2%.

Likely better chance being returned to field.

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RTF mechanics – intake process

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Gather information from the person

surrendering:

• Location of capture/pickup

• History

• Reason for surrender

• Person’s attitude (Hostile or friendly?

To what degree?)

• Open to spay/neuter & return?

• Other cats in the area?

• Discuss RTF? Sign release form

authorizing RTF?

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Evaluate cat’s eligibility for RTF

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Assess:

• Body condition / weight / appearance

• Declawed?

• Age appropriate?

• Socialization level (assuming there’s

space for friendly adults)

• Risk of harm at original location based

on information gathered at intake

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Mechanics – post-intake

• Move along quickly to the clinic -

less time in the shelter, the better

(re: stress, overcrowding)

• Maintain holding area separate

from general population

• Can use partners for transport (to

and from clinic, to release) and

post-surgical recovery (24 to 48

hrs.)

• Use feral cat dens for transport

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Stray holds

Arizona SB 1260 (passed April 2015):

“Any impounded cat that is eligible for a sterilization

program and that will be returned to the vicinity where the

cat was originally captured may be exempted from the

mandatory holding period required by this subsection. For

the purposes of this subsection, "eligible" means a cat

that is living outdoors, lacks discernible identification, is of

sound health and possesses its claws.” (Arizona Revised

Statutes, sec. 11-1013(c).)

Mandatory hold normally 72 hours

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The release

• At a public location (sidewalk of

quiet street, alleyway, park)

• Within two blocks of location of

capture/pickup (for adults)

• Delay if imminent danger (dogs,

angry residents)

• Stay in contact with shelter staff

or animal control

• (optional) Door hangers in

neighborhood

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Suggested guidelines for kittens

• Less than 8 weeks: not eligible (unless

neonates released with mother).

• 8 to 12 weeks: if a caretaker is identified

and has agreed to the time and location of

the release.

• 12 to 16 weeks: at or very near where

they were seized or and identified colony

site. Efforts should be made at the time of

release to locate caretakers.

• More than 16 weeks: within a reasonable

distance of their original location, similar to

adults.

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Stand-alone RTF (no other TNR efforts)

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No population control

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Community view of stand-alone RTF

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Consequences

No reduction in community cat population

means:

• No reduction in complaints

• No improvement in public health (rabies)

• No reduction in predation

• Sustainability issues because the source

of RTF cats remains unchanged in size

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Solution:

•Combine RTF and Targeted TNR

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Step 1 - RTF

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Step 2 – colony-level targeting

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Community view:

RTF + colony level targeting

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RTF + community level targeting

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Albuquerque, NM

Return to Field program

• Launched by Albuquerque Animal Welfare Dept.

(municipal open admission shelter) in 2011

• No targeting

Community Cats Project

• Partnership of Best Friends Animal Society, PetSmart

Charities & Albuquerque Animal Welfare Dept.

• Combined Return to Field with colony-level targeting

• Launched on April 1, 2012

Targeted TNR

• Collaboration of Animal Humane New Mexico & local TNR

group (now Street Cat Hub)

• Community-level targeting of multiple zip codes. Begun in

July, 2010

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Albuquerque Animal Welfare Dept.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Cat Intake

Cat Euthanasia

RTF

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Why have some stand-alone RTF

programs seen intake drop?

• Volume trappers discouraged

(ideological individuals & pest

control companies)

• Individual residents who might

have brought cats to the shelter in

the past instead practice TNR

• Community’s perception and

tolerance of cats changes

• No replacement of removed cats

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Questions?

return to field

Documents